A Wolf's Savage Embrace (6 page)

Thank you for protecting our baby, and I beg you to keep your heart pure and watch those around you.
This is so much bigger than I could have ever imagined. I cannot implore you enough to keep yourself and your sister safe.

Bless you, Katrina

Constance 

Kat folded the letter, and looked at Luke - her overwhelming sense of dread growing as she looked into his perfect amber eyes.
This man was in serious danger because of her, and the guilt of that was eating away at her – making her feel sick.

“What now?” she asked, her voice a hoarse, shaky whisper.

“We go get your sister,” he replied, a small smile touching his lips. “Haven’t you been listening?”

Kat’s mouth turned down in a frown.
She knew that he was trying to make her feel better, but the reality of it was that she needed to get away from him at the first possible opportunity – and that reality just sucked out loud.

Harper ran blindly through the woods – tripping every so often on a stray root, and cursing loudly.
Her vision was blurred with her tears and she could feel the branches slapping at her face – but she didn’t care. In fact, she thought with a sob – she relished the pain. It masked the harsh stabbing hurt in her chest.

She skidded to a stop as the lights from the city broke through the darkness of the trees.

Harper slowly made her way to the all-night diner on the corner of Third and Maple – hesitating a moment outside of the door – wondering if she should go in. She glanced down at her watch and realized with a start that it was close to midnight. Deciding that she needed to gather her wits, she wiped her face with the backs of her hands and pulled open the door.

Luckily, the diner was near empty as Harper slowly made her way inside and slid into a back booth.
The older waitress came over, eyeing her up and down a moment before setting a menu in front of her.

“Would you like something to drink?” she asked, her mouth set in a tight line that Harper was quite use to because of her choice of dress. It didn’t matter that she was a good person – her choice of clothing always caused the stares and whispers.

“Coffee, please.” Harper croaked in reply, her lips trembling. No! She silently screamed, she couldn’t cry anymore! She had to be strong and try to figure this entire fiasco out.

The waitress nodded and turned away, only to return a moment later with a steaming cup of coffee.
She set the mug down in front of Harper and studied her a moment, finally giving her a small smile. “There you go, honey. Did you want to order something to eat?”

Harper’s eyes glistened slightly as she shook her head. “No, just the coffee thanks.”

The woman gave her a sympathetic look, and Harper realized that she probably thought she was a runaway, and her eyes welled with tears once again. No, she thought sadly. She wasn’t a runaway – she was an orphan.

She waited until the woman walked away, before turning and opening her backpack - taking the letter her mother had left her out and holding it in her trembling hands. She chewed at her bottom lip as she tried to garner the strength to open it. After several, long, agonizing moments – she took a deep, steadying breath and tore the envelope open.

Harper,

My darling, baby girl.
First and foremost, I need you to know that your father and I love you with all of our hearts. You have been such a blessing to us, and this is the hardest letter that I have ever had to write. Honey, things are happening around us that will forever change our lives. This is so hard for me, but you need to know that we are not your biological parents. You were sent to us when you were just a baby and we love you as much as if you were born to us. Please know that. I fear that your father and I will not make it through this, so I need you to pay close attention to what I am about to tell you. You need to find Elaine Winslow. She is your biological mother, and will be able to give you the answers you need. I have not spoken to Elaine since the day she brought you to us, but I have tried to keep abreast of the happenings in the Coven. You need to find Thomas Kerns. He makes it a point of keeping up with the people you need to seek out. Go to Masquerade in town and speak to the bartender there. She will hopefully be able to help you. Please, my darling girl; be careful and stay as pure and loving as you are. Always remember that your father and I love you. We have always loved you. You are a beautiful and special girl that I know will stay true and faithful to what we have taught you. I have given you enough money to help you on your way. Be safe and please watch who you trust. We love you Harper, so very much, and will always be with you.

All of our love, now and always,

Mom & Dad

Harper read the note over once again, trying desperately to see through her tears – feeling as if she had been punched in the gut.
She shook her head slowly, a part of her refusing to accept what she had just read. Oh, God! This was a total nightmare. Her world and everything that she had ever known had just been ripped out from under her feet and she felt an overpowering wave of nausea hit her.

“Is everything okay, honey?” The waitress asked, her face tight with concern, and Harper jumped at the intrusion – nodding slowly.
“Are you sure I can’t bring you something to eat?” She asked, laying her hand on top of Harper’s. “It’s on the house.”

“No…no, thank you.
I’m fine.” The woman nodded sadly, and walked away - but not before giving Harper a glance laced with pity over her shoulder.

Harper pulled the cash from the envelope and quickly shoved it into the pocket of her jeans.
She needed to get out of here – she needed air. Everything suddenly felt as if it was closing in around her. She threw a few dollars onto the table and rushed out of the restaurant – heading towards the park near the center of town where she and her friends usually hung out. She just couldn’t deal with this right now. She just wanted to be alone and try and figure out what to do next. Did she really want to find her birth mother? The woman had dumped her seventeen years ago – why the Hell would she want to see her now?

Harper wiped the tears from her eyes and started running toward the park.
Needing nothing more at that moment than to curl up under a tree and cry her eyes out. She would deal with Masquerade and finding Elaine Winslow tomorrow.
Maybe.

Luke parked in the lot across from the club and turned towards Kat – causing her to instantly go on the defensive.
Her eyes narrowed as she watched him a moment. She knew what was coming and there was just no frigging way!

“Oh, no you don’t!” She barked, before he even had the chance to utter a word.
“I
am
going in.” She stated stubbornly, her face set in a tight scowl, and watched as his entire body grew rigid.

Oh,
Hell
no! She silently seethed. She was done with Mr. Macho telling her what to do. He shouldn’t even be here in the first place, and she’d be
damned
if she was going to let him dictate to her what she did, and when she did it!

“Katrina,” he said, his voice low – but she only wildly shook her head and continued to glare at him.

“Don’t even waste your breath, Benji. Your brain needs all the oxygen that it can get.” With that, she opened the door and slid out, giving him a smirk of defiance as she did. She pulled her hair from its ponytail and shook it out, letting the long silken tresses cascade down her back like liquid fire and Luke’s breath caught in his throat at the sight.

When Luke made no move to exit the car, Kat shrugged her shoulders and turned toward the bar.
It was only a moment later that she heard his door open – then slam shut with a resounding boom - and she knew that he was pissed. Oh, well – she thought with a smile. Screw him! Maybe
now
he’d take that gorgeous ass of his back home where it belonged and she wouldn’t have to deal with him anymore.

A second later, his hand gripped her arm, pulling her to a stop.
She yanked it free from his grip and scowled at him. He was not about to man-handle her.

“You
really
don’t want to fight me on this,” she said, with much more bravado than she actually felt. Jesus, as soon as the man touched her, her entire body began to hum and tingle – and it was a distraction that she didn’t need at the moment in the least!

“I think it would be best...” he began, but her finger poking into his chest stopped him.

“I don’t give a rat’s ass
what
you think is best,” she bit out, emphasizing each word with a poke to his solid, rock hard body. “You are
not
my bodyguard - guard dog…or
mother
! I didn’t want you to come in the first place – and I’ll be
damned
if I’m going to let you make me sit on the sidelines like some little, helpless piece of fluff!” With that she turned and stormed off toward the bar, the natural sway of her hips causing Luke’s body to come on full alert – in more ways than one. He cursed under his breath and stomped off after her – cursing himself; as well as the little spitfire
the entire way.

When they entered the club; the blaring strains of rock music assaulted them in ear-shattering waves, and Kat noticed Luke wince. She gave him a grin and leaned in to yell in his ear.
“If it’s too much for you, Tonto,” she called with a laugh. “You can go and wait in the car! I’ll even make sure to crack the windows for you.”

She turned and pushed her way through the crowd towards the bar – only to groan when she noticed three bartenders.
Damn! How in the hell was she supposed to know which one to talk to?

Well - two guys and a cute little brunette, she thought with a shrug – this she could handle.
She found an empty stool at the end of the bar and squeezed her way in, giving the burly bartender one of her best smiles. He returned the gesture and leaned on the bar – blatantly eyeing her up and down.

“Hey there, beautiful,” he said, his mouth turning up in a smile that she couldn’t help but notice didn’t make her heart skip a beat like a certain wolf’s did – and she cursed under her breath.
“I haven’t had the pleasure of seeing you in here before. What can I
tempt
you with?” He gave her a wink, and Kat inwardly groaned. Oh, Christ – the guy was pathetic. She’d hung
clothes
on better lines than that!

“Tequila,” she replied, trying desperately to keep the smile on her face – but this guy was just too pathetic for his own good, and she was finding herself hard-pressed to keep up the act.

“And a scotch.”

She stiffened at the sound of Luke’s voice in her ear, and suddenly felt the heat of his body against her back.

The bartender glanced at Luke, the smile fading from his lips in an instant, and gave him a nod. “Sure thing.” He turned and busied himself with getting their drinks as Kat elbowed Luke in the stomach, her lips now set in a tight line and her eyes blazing.

“Just what in the hell is wrong with you?” she ground out between clenched teeth.

“Not a damned thing as far as I can tell,” he replied, his breath blowing softly against her cheek, and Kat felt that now familiar shiver run up her spine – and silently damned the mangy cur to the fiery pits of hell.

“Arrogant ass,” she muttered under her breath.